Some musicians are known for their flaring guitar solos or their vocal theatrics or maybe their new sneakers, but Taiyo Na is an artist who is known for the passion of his words. On his critically acclaimed debut album Love is Growth (Issilah Productions, 2008), he showcases exactly that: the heart of a poet behind the agile incarnation of MC, singer, songwriter and producer.  Okayplayer.com writes the album  “establishes himself as a multidimensional talent with a unique creative voice that fuses the rhythms of the city that raised him with the soul of the Asian immigrant culture that birthed him.” It features the song “Lovely To Me (Immigrant Mother),” an ImaginAsian Entertainment Original Song Contest Winner.

Born and raised throughout New York City, Taiyo first started writing rhymes at age 13 with the encouragement of high school and neighborhood friends. This passion for language, heart and rhythm led to an early journey into spoken word poetry, performing nationally with the New York-based feedback poets’ collective (2000-2003) which featured Def Poetry Jam staple Beau Sia and Former Queens Poet Laureate Ishle Yi Park. By the time he was 18 years old, he had shared stages with Maya Angelou and Janice Mirikitani, and at age 19 was selected as one of the “25 Best Emerging Artists Under the Age of 25” by New World Theater’s Intersection Conference in 2002.

Increasingly driven by melody and groove, in the years following Taiyo found himself building both a name and community within New York City’s independent music scene. The Love is Growth album, thus, features a number of exceptional East Coast-based musicians including Vu, Jason Kao Hwang, Conchita Campos, Minimum Tek, Emily C. Chang, Mark Concerto and more. Taiyo continues to perform for festival crowds, the college circuit and intimate venues throughout the country. Notable accomplishments from the recent past include a guest performance for Helen Zia’s Asian American Renaissance Conference, two featured concerts at Lincoln Center, two appearances on Kevin So’s celebrated album A Brighter Day, and an opening performance for 9-time Grammy Award-winning Eddie Palmieri.

As an educator and youth worker, Taiyo has led workshops and courses in creative writing, performance, history and visual art for youth throughout the city for the last 8 years. A formally trained actor, he holds 2 years of study at the legendary Robert X. Modica’s Acting Studio at Carnegie Hall. He was also a host for the 2006 NAMIC Vision Award-winning Cinema AZN show on the now defunct Comcast channel AZN TV. He is currently Artistic Director of the monthly Sulu Series at the Bowery Poetry Club and the Entertainment Series host for Asian America (WNYE), a weekly TV show syndicated by PBS. In addition, he brings his songwriting prowess to the bi-coastal hip-hop group  Magnetic North, frequently collaborating and performing songs together.

Photo by Brian Cleaver

* All shirts made by American Apparel

contact: taiyo@taiyona.com